House of Love

Tonight my house is seething with it.

I just put my oldest son to bed, and he was asking questions about whether or not we were staying here, in this house. His room is a bit smaller than our last apartment, and it doesn't have his brother in it and it doesn't have new paint. I think he likes his old house better and maybe even the "different" house too.

When he was asking about whether we were staying here or not, it was a bit difficult explaining that we were going to rent out the other portion of the house to other people and I tried to explain it simply. He decided to tell me where everyone was going to stay, and, sorry Calvin's friends' moms, but you guys are staying in your cars. And Aimee, your friends are staying in the backyard next to my friends.

After saying prayers and thanking Heavenly Father for such a wonderful day today with my son, I walked passed the door that leads to the first floor where "other" people will be living in a few weeks and I heard working. Lots of unrecognizable bangs and bops. It was the sweetest sound two men have ever made. I love hearing people working, but I especially love hearing my husband work with his father.

It is like a long tradition passed down that men do. They work with each other. And to have two men so close in their genetic make-up working in such close proximity. It is just like a hot cup of hot chocolate (so what if I have used that simile before). Like a sweet sweet cup of hot chocolate after being out in the snow all day.

I am so glad I get to hear it a few more weeks.

Final Sunday

Pete with Clavin, Ara with Sejama, Nadia with Harrison, and Me

Our last Sunday in Taksim. Calvin has really enjoyed his Sunday routines. He loves going to church because it always meant some interactions with new people and new experiences each week for us. Living on campus can be very isolated at times and the contact we have with people outside of those on campus is quite limited, so going to church has been, in a lot of ways, like stretching our arms in the morning. It gets the juices flowing and reminds us we are alive and part of the bigger world.

Nadia with her "Canım"

The church here is only a branch, but it is quite strong. The people who come in and out of the ward are quite transient since many come with contracts to work and don't always stay past a few years or so. There have been some great families and individuals that we have interacted with while we were here and I don't want to forget them: The Burgess Family - Chris, Lesa, KelliJo, Zoey and Ava(who was born in Turkey after they left and returned) ; McCollums - Johnathan, Christine, Atticus, Sherman, and Cincinattus; The Reed's - Jill, Dave, and Sarah; Eliason's - Aimee, her husband and her 2 beautiful daughters; Palmer's - Jason, Elvira, Sejama, and Zelanda (and one on the way); Dillard's - Joanna, Justin, Kaylee, Justin, and Allison; Margaret; Ara and Nadia; Mine; Amy; Ceker's - Susan, Murat, Leah, Sarah, Ece and the two older boys -- I think that is it. I am not sure I used commas properly, but you know what I mean. There was also David from the Canary Islands last year and Olam from Iran. There is also Cookie from Eritrea and the new girl Sarah as well. Alsp Asli and then the Mexican man whose wife is Turksih and whose son is adorable, but I can't remember their names Brother Yilmaz will always be remembered fondly -- he gave Calvin this awesome hat with a fan in it that we just gave away.

There are other people (not many) whose names I don't know or faces passed so briefly that I can't recall them. When we arrived the Millet's were the Elder Missionaries here and then the Loosli's came and recently went and now the Pasquete's (sp?) are here. It is interesting seeing the Elder missionary couples have such great experiences and how they change from when they arrive to the point when they are ready to leave. I am sure someone is watching us and thinking the same thing.

Justin seeing if Harrison can eat a biscuit.

Our Sundays will be so different from now on - but so much the same. I am so thankful to have that consistency in our lives.

the church building

the front door of church